Celebrating Botanist Coe Finch Austin and his Adventure on High Tor
"When he reached the top, Austin surprised his brother and handed him the specimens with instructions to meet him at the mountain's base."
June 20, 1831
On this day, the botanist and founding member of the Torrey Botanical Club, Coe Finch Austin, was born.
He was a noted expert on the mosses and liverworts of North America.
To give you an idea of his fearlessness while he was collecting plants, here's a little story I read across:
Coe was visiting his brother in New York and decided he wanted to climb High Tor.
Austin climbed the mountain, stopping to add specimens to his shoulder bag.
When he reached the top, Austin surprised his brother and handed him the specimens with instructions to meet him at the mountain's base.
His brother realized that this meant Austin would descend along the most dangerous face of the mountain.
He tried to stop him, but Austin did not relent.
His brother waited for him at the meeting place on the base. After a while, and without a sound, his brother suddenly appeared. He came bearing specimens and had a massive smile on his face.
This post was featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast:
helping gardeners find their roots,
one story at a time
Related posts:
A Review of Henry Austin Dobson’s Rose Poem: Beauty, Time, and the Fallacy of the Ephemeral
Remembering Botanist Thomas Meehan, his Brother Joseph, and Botanizing at Gettysburg
The Davenport Woman’s Club December Meeting: Seed Packets for Gifts and Honoring Botanical Heroes Ernest Henry Wilson and John T. Temple
Celebrating the Brilliant Young Swedish Botanist Peter Forsskal Who Died of Malaria in Yemen
Who Should Celebrate National Squirrel Appreciation Day? Tree Lovers, Seed Savers, and Gardeners for Starters